Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
SWEETHEARTS from Saudi Arabia and India will soon be targeted to tie-the-knot in Bahrain and bring their families and friends along for the celebrations too.
It’s a case of ‘more the merrier’ as the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority set out its 2016-2017 action plan focusing on positioning the kingdom as a ‘prime wedding destination’ at a launch event last week.
The move, part of the long-term tourism strategy highlighting Bahrain’s attractiveness as a tourism destination, was unveiled to hotel and hospitality executives and it was revealed that a proposed new five-star beach property will include a stand-alone wedding banqueting hall within its master-plan and a special wedding party visitors’ visa, along similar lines to the special arrangements made for foreign motorsport fans attending the annual grand prix, is also under consideration.
“The tourism sector in the kingdom boasts a wide range of offerings and benefits and our plans to focus on the wedding sector is a part of the diverse portfolio that Bahrain can offer its visitors,” said Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.
Bahrain is keen to get a slice of the billion dollar wedding industry sector which Oman has already stolen a march on in the Gulf region, the meeting heard.
Although the kingdom already stages many weddings for parties travelling from neighbouring Saudi Arabia the planned improvements to the causeway allowing easier access will help boost its attractiveness even further … but the big draw will be successfully wooing more Indian families to come here for their lavish and well-attended marriage ceremonies.
The campaign has already been enhanced by the news that Bahrain’s oldest Hindu temple is set to undergo massive renovation. New designs for the 200-year-old building inside Manama Souq, with a reported planned budget of BD500,000, have been unveiled, as the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication, reported.
The plan will focus on promoting traditional wedding venues alongside alternatives, such as the dessert, on an island, beach and at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
During the press conference, the advisor to the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Dr Ali Hassan Follad, stressed that the wedding sector impacts numerous other businesses alongside the hotel and hospitality industry, such as those involved in fashion, beauty, photography, limousine rental, aviation and more.
“The authority will be focusing its efforts on elevating the sector through various methods, including hosting a workshop in September to develop the skills of wedding planners in Bahrain with the support of an internationally-accredited company. We will also be inviting wedding management companies from India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bahrain in order to further understand the capabilities of the kingdom,” he said.
BETA will also be taking part in the annual Jewellery Arabia exhibition with a large stand in order to promote Bahrain as a wedding destination which will feature top fashion designers. Also, the authority will host a fashion wedding focusing on wedding clothes from all across the globe during the event.
The authority will also take part in the Wedding Fair, the largest event of its kind, held next year in Thailand in order to further promote Bahrain and TV, social media and tourism website marketing campaigns will support the initiative.
